THE CERBERUS. 



117 



It inhabits tlie bottoms of marine creeks and the mouths of rivers. Tlie Javanese call it Oular 

 Limpe. Tlie body of this reptile is covered with small scales, each boldly keeled in the 

 centre, and its color is black and white arranged in alternate rings. 



The Ekpetoin', or Herpeton, as the name is sometimes written, is a truly curious reptile, 

 of no great size, but bearing a pair of appendages on the head that seem to serve no 

 recognized puipose save to bewilder zoologists. The muzzle of this creature is covered with 

 scales, and on each side of it rises a curious appendage. This remarkable organ is soft, 

 but completely covered with scales and defended by them. Of the habits of the Erpeton 

 nothing appears to be known, and even its country is dubious. Its color is pale brown 

 streaked with white. 



ACB.OC^OT^TtY,.—Achrochordiisja€atdcu8. 



The sombre and rather unsightly Cerberus, better known by its native name of Karoo 

 BoKADAM, is an Asiatic reptile, being found in India, the Philippines, Ceylon, Borneo, and 

 similar countries. It is an ugly looking Serpent, but is not much dreaded, and is thought to 

 be practically non-venomous. It is a stout, thick-bodied Snake, with a very large head in 

 proportion to the size of its neck, though small in comparison with the body. The mouth is 

 not large, and the teeth are small, regular, and set rather closely together. The nostrils of 

 this Serpent are very small, and placed close to each other almost on the very tip of the muzzle. 

 The eyes are small, round, and projecting as if squeezed out of the head, and are surrounded 

 by a curious circle of nearly triangular scales, much as a circular window in a brick wall is 

 edged with wedge-shaped bricks. 



